Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 12 November 1999

Scottish Executive

Business Support

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to address the comprehensive needs of business; what action it intends to take to encourage greater integration of business support services between the public and private sectors, and what plans it has to look at the current business support structure.

Henry McLeish: The Enterprise networks provide a comprehensive range of business support services to help business formation, survival and growth. We keep under constant review existing arrangements for business support in Scotland to monitor the effectiveness of services and to identify ways of improving efficiency and service delivery. We will continue to work with SE and HIE to improve the quality and consistency of business support services, for example, through implementing the recommendations of the Review into Business Support in Scotland concluded earlier this year. The Parliament’s Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into business support services at the local level including examination of the co-ordination of services. The Executive will study the Committee’s findings and conclusions with keen interest in considering whether further improvements are required in our business support arrangements.

Business Support

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to emulate the Small Business Service operational in other parts of the United Kingdom and what measures it intends to implement to encourage more effective and efficient partnerships between the various business support organisations such as chambers of commerce, enterprise trusts, local councils and LECs.

Henry McLeish: We are currently considering the Scottish implications of the Small Business Service proposals published by the Department of Trade and Industry. Our assessment will take account of the fact that economic development issues are devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the existence of Scotland’s distinctive business support structure, including the role of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the wider enterprise network.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs on 28 October 1999, whether it will reconsider its decision not to make a Ministerial statement to the Parliament following each meeting of the EC Fisheries Council.

Mr John Home Robertson: I intend to report to Parliament after every Fisheries Council. Whether this should be by oral statement, by written means, to the Rural Affairs Committee or indeed a combination of these will depend on the substance of what I have to report.

Justice

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review existing legislation on child pornography in the light of the increase in the availability of such material via the internet and other sources and in particular whether it will act on Lord Cullen’s expressed concerns about restrictions on the length of sentences available in cases involving child pornography by increasing the sentences which may be imposed in such cases.

Mr Jim Wallace: We take very seriously the menace presented by child pornography, whatever its source. The law on child pornography already reflects this, with a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both, for those who publish, circulate or possess with a view to distributing such material.

  The level of penalties generally is a matter we keep under review.

Scottish University for Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the sources of funding are of the £16.3 million costs for the proposed Scottish University for Industry.

Henry McLeish: £16.3 million over three years has been allocated for the development of the Scottish UfI. £445,000 was allocated from the Windfall tax. The remainder was allocated from the Industry, Enterprise and Training budget of the Scottish Block. Funding for the development phase has been included in the Scottish Enterprise Grant in Aid allocation for 1999-2000.

Scottish University for Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual operating costs are of the proposed Scottish University for Industry.

Henry McLeish: £5 million a year has been identified for the development and operating costs of the Scottish UfI for the period to 31 March 2002.

Scottish University for Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed salaries are of the Chairman and other Directors of the proposed Scottish University for Industry.

Henry McLeish: The Chief Executive post was advertised at circa £80,000, and the four Executive Directors at circa £50,000. Non Executive Directors of the Scottish UfI will not be paid. The question of an honorarium for the Chairman has yet to be decided.

Scottish University for Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will launch a marketing campaign aimed at small and medium size businesses to highlight the potential benefits of the Scottish University for Industry.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish University for Industry’s branding and communications strategy will be central to stimulating the demand for learning. The Scottish UfI will develop an extensive communications strategy, targeted at a number of sectors including SMEs. The Scottish UfI will work closely with local enterprise companies, and with representative bodies, to ensure that small firms are aware of, and can benefit from, the Scottish University for Industry.

Scottish University for Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult with interested bodies as to how the Scottish University for Industry will add value to existing provision and how adequate performance measurement mechanisms will be instituted.

Henry McLeish: The Opportunity Scotland consultation paper of September 1998, the Skills for Scotland paper of March 1999 and the SUfI Development Plan of October 1998 all invited comment on our plans to establish the Scottish University for Industry by autumn 2000. Respondents overwhelmingly supported the establishment of the Scottish UfI.

  The Scottish UfI will be required to develop a number of success criteria which will be monitored and published. These will include targets such as the number of enquiries to the Scottish UfI helpline, the numbers taking up learning, the numbers progressing to further learning and the numbers completing learning. The Scottish UfI will be expected to publish an annual report and will be required to meet tough targets under a contractual agreement with the Scottish Executive for its funding.

Social Work

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1791 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 26 October 1999, from which budget the additional £0.8 million compensation paid in 1998-99 was provided.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The payments referred to were made under Section 10 (1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and came from funds allocated to Grants to Voluntary Organisations. The total cost to that budget was offset by an increase in funds transferred from provision allocated to the European Social Fund Objective 3 budget.

Sport

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to support financially the establishment of the Scottish National Speedway School of Excellence as currently proposed in West Lothian.

Rhona Brankin: Government funding for sport is channelled through  sportscotland and decisions on priorities are a matter for them within the overall grant-in-aid allocation provided by the Department. Speedway is not recognised as a sports activity for the purposes of grant aid and other services.  sportscotland has no record of discussions or correspondence about this project.

Student Grants

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many student grant applications to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland in 1998 were turned down because of late submission which would have otherwise been valid.

Henry McLeish: For the academic year 1998-99 the Agency’s records indicate that 91 applications for support were refused on the grounds of late submission without an acceptable explanation. Such applications are not processed but it is probable that the majority of them would otherwise have been valid.